Where those associated with Western films from around the world are laid to rest.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

RIP Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal dies: Cultural icon made his mark on Broadway

By David Ng

August 1, 2012, 5:00
a.m.

Gore Vidal, who
died Tuesday at 86, was a cultural icon who occupied a uniquely wide-ranging
position in American letters. An essayist, novelist, playwright, screenwriter
and occasional actor, Vidal was a prolific polymath whose diverse output was
united by an acerbic and politically engaged intelligence.

Vidal's career as a playwright is notable primarily for his satire "The Best Man." The play, which depicts the machinations behind a fictional
presidential convention, was revived last season on Broadway, with a cast that
included James Earl Jones, Candice Bergen and John Larroquette. The production, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York,
is set to run through September.

In many ways, "The Best Man" is emblematic of Vidal himself -- funny,
scathing and rooted in a jaundiced view of the American political system. First
performed on Broadway in 1960, the play was also revived in 2000, another
presidential election year.

Vidal turned the play into a movie in 1964, with a cast that included Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson.

Vidal was nominated for a Tony Award for the original Broadway production of "The Best Man," which ran for
more than 500 performances. The current production was nominated for best
revival of a play.

His other Broadway efforts included "A Visit to a Small Planet," "Romulus"
and "Weekend."

In 2007, Vidal appeared in a Hollywood Bowl concert of Aaron Copland's
"Lincoln Portrait." Seated in a wheelchair, Vidal recited Lincoln's text
alongside the L.A. Philharmonic, led by Michael Tilson Thomas.

About Me

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1946 I have a BA degree in American History from Cal St. Northridge. I've been researching the American West and western films since the early 1980s and visiting filming sites in Spain and the U.S.A. Elected a member of the Spaghetti Western Hall of Fame 2010.